


Stay.

by orphan_account



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Depression, Don't even read this ok, Lots of Angst, M/M, Onesided love (Bofur/Bilbo Baggins), post-BOFA - line of Durin dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-12
Updated: 2013-04-12
Packaged: 2017-12-08 07:04:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/758470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo doesn't want to go, even after there's nothing left for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay.

**Author's Note:**

> Notes at the end ("spoilers", but feel free to look before you read).

"I love you," was the last thing the dwarven king said, his eyes closed and his voice weak.

Bilbo wasn't sure he'd heard it correctly, and this is why he kneeled beside Thorin, his face as close as it could come, making sure he wouldn't miss it when the words were repeated. "Thorin? Say that again."

The weak whisper that followed was not the king repeating himself, but adding "I always have".

In tears, the hobbit begged the dwarf not to die. The day after, he had to be dragged from Thorin's side, tears still running down his cheeks.

\--

He said he would leave Erebor, every single day he said the same thing when Bofur found him packing - what was the deal with the hobbit packing his things anyways, seeing as how he already packed it the day before? No, the hobbit packed his bag every day, preparing to leave. Every time he walked out through Bofur's door, the dwarf thought it would be the last. He never tried to convince Bilbo to stay, because how could he? Bofur would have left too, if he traded places wi the hobbit.

It was always Dwalin who found Bilbo in the catacombs an hour later, weeping on the floor by Thorin - once a week, the hobbit would be found by the nephew's graves, but otherwise it was always by the king. Sometimes, Dwalin would let a few tears escape - for his friend, his king - before he comforted the halfling. Bilbo had never thought Dwalin to be very comforting, but a heavy hand on his shoulder often stopped the halflings helpless sobbing, turning it into silent tears.

"He was in the catacombs again," Dwalin reported every day when he brought Bilbo back to Bofur's house.

"Oh," Bofur said, unsure if he was happy or sad that the hobbit hadn't left.

The longer he stayed, the harder it would be to leave. The more he grieved, the harder it would be to forget.

One arm around Bilbo, Bofur led him to the guest room he had so carefully tried to decorate specifically for the hobbit. He would later have to bring the halfling dinner - the only meal Bilbo ate each day - as Bilbo was too exhausted from all the crying. 

"Hush, love," Bofur whispered if Bilbo woke up in the middle of the night, but the hobbit never heard what Bofur meant, he only heard meaningless words. "In time, you will heal."

It took years before Bilbo went from trying to leave every day, to trying to leave once a week, to trying to leave once a month. "I'll stay a few more months, until the anniversary of...of..."

"Of course, love. If ye wish to stay longer ye have the key to my home," Bofur said, bowing - the halfling still did not listen to what Bofur called him, only to the words that meant nothing.

And one day, he was gone. It was on the exact day Bilbo had stayed for. Bofur searched everywhere, anywhere. There was not a trace of the halfling, except a single one. In the catacombs laid a letter, but Bofur could not read it, even if he had dared to. 

_To the Company of Thorin Oakenshield_ , it read, although the only word Bofur recognized in the text was "Company" and "Thorin".

 _I have remained here too long. It is time for me to go back to the Shire_ , read the first line of the letter, something Bofur would not find out until years later, when he realized the ache in his chest would not go away and finally took it to the scholars to have it read.

_Bofur, you are right. Time will heal me. For that to happen I can not stay in Erebor. Please come visit some time. I need you to help me heal._

_Love, your hobbit_

So much time had passed when Bofur finally had someone help him read it. So much time, in fact, that when he made his way to the Shire he was too late. 

Nobody had seen Bilbo in months, nearly a year. Last they heard, he had gone with the elves, across the sea...

**Author's Note:**

> Post-BOFA, Bilbo lives with Bofur cause I mean, he's not planning on staying so he's just temporarily staying with Bofur. Bofur has a major crush on Bilbo too, but Bilbo's waaay to depressed to even get it. Or care.  
> And because I'm too in love with this headcanon: Bofur is dyslexic, and he doesn't bother reading cause it's SO HARD, and he doesn't want to know what the letter even says...


End file.
